


A Summer inRivendell

by LadyLindariel (Morwen80)



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-25 10:37:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6191749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morwen80/pseuds/LadyLindariel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's summer in Imladris, and the twins are coming into their adolescent years. Which means they are moving up in their training, and in life. But with maturing comes other hard things, and many difficult choices. But the key to maturity, is making the mature choices. The two find out what it's really like to becoming warriors, making friends, and making enemies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is also a story I am writing on FanFiction.net and is co-written by an author from that site.

Golden light sifted gently through the stately trees of Rivendell, reflecting gracefully onto the valley of Imladris and causing it to glow. The only people awake were the warriors who trained in the field, leaving the rest of the Valley to awaken. It was the end of Spring, and logically, all soldiers were eager to pass their exams that would take place that afternoon. Then, after that, and when all the new advancing warriors were chosen, summer would start a new training season. The Elves who didn't move up would have the summer off, and would start back up in the fall. However, it was probably for the best, as this training season would be a much harder one, only because almost all of the Elves would be advancing that year, as careful study showed, so Glorfindel thought it would be fair to increase the work. A lot, and as a result, new trainers and helpers were also to be summoned. Over all, today would be a busy day.

In the House of Elrond, Lord Glorfindel walked slowly down the hall from his room, busily thumbing through a sheaf of papers. It was very early in the morning, a little after sunrise, and he had just finished the very last training session of the year. This afternoon, he and his second in command, Captain Faron would be overseeing the final assessments. Then, a week later, the fun would begin, but for now, he just wanted to relax with breakfast.

The Elven Lord continued across the dining pavilion, attention fixed on the reports he held. As he looked at the pages, he realized with some shock, that the smaller elflings had taken their assessments only yesterday. How had he forgotten that? Why had he not been present? An annoyed glare flitted across his face as he approached the table. He had missed a whole assessment! What was he even doing at the time. The Gondolin elf's mind wandered back to yesterday afternoon, searching his memory. Suddenly he scowled. He had been stuck in a meeting, and he hadn't even realized it. Glorfindel wanted to slap himself.

As it was, he guessed that Faron had overseen it in his stead. He trusted the warrior greatly, and knew that he'd bring him an accurate report, but he still wanted to slap himself. He'd never done that before, never had a training session slipped his mind, not even way back in the time of Gondolin.

"Ah, Glorfindel, you're here." A voice pulled him out of his turbulent thoughts and he noticeably flinched, blinking rapidly. Elrond was at the edge of the table, an eyebrow raised in his direction. Seated beside him, Celebrían looked up with a smile, obviously having seen his distracted reaction.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked him as he sat down across from Lord Elrond. Glorfindel smiled dismissively and set the reports on the floor beside him, easing himself down into the wooden chair. Beside him, the twins practically jumped out of their seats with cheers.

"Ada, Glorfy's here-"

"Can we eat now-?"

"I'm starving!" The two rapidly finished each other's sentences, looking from their father, to Glorfindel. Elrond smiled warmly at them and nodded. The two had an uncanny tendency to know what the other was going to say, and usually ended up either interrupting each other, or finishing the others thoughts.

"Yes, you may." The half elf replied, nodding to the servants. Immediately, as if coming out of the shadows, a group of cooks swarmed the table with plates. Elladan, the older of the two, immediately dived for the bread, grabbing a piece before Elrond could even blink. Celebrían glared at her son and cleared her throat meaningfully, causing the older twin to freeze, looking guiltily up to her.

"Sorry," he muttered, putting the roll back and seating himself firmly in his chair. "Please pass the bread." Celebrían raised both her eyebrows and tilted her head in approval, lifting the platter of warm, crusty rolls and passing it to her son.

"So Elladan and Elrohir tell me they took their assessments yesterday," Elrond said conversationally, dishing himself some fruit and eggs. Elrohir perked up at that and grinned, jumping up and down in his chair.

"Far'n says 'm gettin' 'etter at arche'y!" The younger brother exclaimed through a mouthful of honey soaked bread. Celebrían rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, putting down her fork in exasperation.

"Sweetie, we do not talk with our mouths full at the table." She chided gently, pinning her son with a stare. It wasn't an angry stare, but it wasn't a happy stare either. It was the stare of a mother, a disapproving one at that. Elrohir turned red with shame and shrunk back into his chair, muttering an apology. Elrond hid a grin.

"Yes they did," the Glorfindel continued, peeling a boiled egg. As he pulled off the shell, it tore off some of the white with it, causing the whole thing to fall apart. Glorfindel glared, letting it fall uselessly on his plate.

"And how did they do?" Celebrían asked eagerly, having heard no word on them. Elrond would have told her, but as he knew nothing of the matter, he couldn't. It stood to the fact that both he and Glorfindel were cursed to be at that meeting yesterday. At her words, the golden haired Ellon looked up from the slaughtered egg, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't actually know..." He looked over at his reports and thought for a second, "Faron should be bringing me a full report on all the students by this afternoon, before the rest of the warriors have their exams." He already knew that they did well, as he had been watching their progress for a while. But he didn't have any specifics. Elrond nodded reasonably and stabbed a grape with his fork, holding the utensil carelessly in one hand. Celebrían smiled brightly, laughing musically.

"I'm sure they did very well." Their mother said easily, having full confidence in her two sons. She wasn't a warrior by any means, but she did know the makings of one when she saw them. She had been alive long enough to know. However, as was natural for all mothers, she still had a small nagging fear. It probably meant nothing, and she hoped it didn't, but the Elleth was still anxious. The Lady wasn't necessarily concerned for how they did in their exams, but rather for something else. If they did indeed pass them, which she was sure of, they had a hard summer in front of them. Glorfindel may have taken it easy on them this season, but once they graduated to the next level, all mercy would be gone. Not to mention, the two would be going into an almost totally unfamiliar environment.

There would be new trainers, new skills, and not to mention all the new kids -some bullies, as she knew very well. Celebrían had seen the summer training before, and the one thing she always noticed, was how competitive it was. Almost dangerously so. Elladan and Elrohir were fine with competitive things, they did it all the time. But she couldn't help the nagging fear, that this year would be different somehow. She didn't know why she felt that way, as again, she couldn't have had more confidence in her boys. But the fact was, that she did. And she didn't know how right she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Breakfast was long gone and Glorfindel was in his office awaiting the final reports of who was moving up in training when he heard a knock on his door. "Come in Faron, I was expecting you." He replied when he realized who it was.

Faron walked in the room and proceeded to sit down in Glorfindel's favorite chair. Glorfindel scoffed but it was all in jest. Faron was the only one other than Lord Elrond who was allowed to sit in his over-sized lounge chair. "So Glorfindel, how is your day so far?" He asked as he put his dirty feet up on the table.

Glorfindel eyed his second in command. "It is going alright, and would you kindly get your dirty feet off of my table! You are getting dirt all over it and I eat off of there." Glorfindel said smacking Faron's feet with a rolled up piece parchment. "So have you brought me the roster yet of who has graduated to the next level? I really need to get everything ready for training next week."

"Yes I did, they are right here," Faron said handing Glorfindel the roster. "And I think you will be pleased to know that Elladan and Elrohir have made it to the next level. They really are very fast learners and gifted. I have noticed that Elladan is very good with the sword and his brother is quite the archer."

Glorfindel grinned at the news. This would make Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían very proud indeed. "Let me see those," He said grabbing the papers from Faron and looking at them. As he eyed the roster sure enough on the top of the list was Elladan and Elrohir, however, his face soon fell when he noticed another name on the list right under Elrohir's: Faegon's.

"What is it? You don't seem too happy." Faron knew it couldn't be because of the twins. They both were hoping that they would move on up.

"No, I am not. Worried is more like it. Faegon is also on here."

"Well yes, it was bound to happen. He is one of the best students." Then Faron realized why Glorfindel was worried. Faegon was a bully to the hilt especially when it came to Elladan. For whatever reason those two just did not like each other, and it was not for lack of trying on Elladan's part. "Oh, I see now. Faegon and Elladan. Well maybe we will luck out and they will not notice one another."

"Don't hold your breath Faron. We both know better than anyone how competitive training is and that everyone will be trying to outdo each other. We also know that for whatever reason Faegon is jealous of Elladan and he will stop at nothing to keep from besting him at everything. We are just going to have to try and keep them apart as much as we can." Glorfindel sighed grabbing the bridge of his nose. His day had been going so well and now because of a simple name it had gone downhill fast.

"What are you going to do?" He got up and walked with Glorfindel to the door.

"I am going to go and inform Lord Elrond and the others that Elladan and Elrohir are starting training next week and that unfortunately means telling them about Faegon."

"Do you want me to come with you? You know for moral support." Faron asked but deep inside he was hoping that Glorfindel would say no. He really had no desire to be there when Elladan found out that his mortal enemy was also going to be training with him. Things could get ugly real fast.

"No Faron but thanks anyway. Why don't you go and inform the rest of the students who have graduated to the next level including Faegon, but don't tell Faegon that he will be working with Elladan. Not yet. No need to start a war before training has started."

Faron sighed with relief and then left to go inform the others leaving Glorfindel to tackle the impossible task of informing Elrond and his family. "Good luck Mellon nín. I really mean it."

A few minutes later Glorfindel arrived at Elrond's family quarters and knocked on the door. How was he going to break the news? He knew that he had to tell them but how and how would he do it so that Elladan wouldn't go and strangle Faegon to escape working with him? As he was pondering these thoughts Celebrían opened the door.

"Glorfindel, how are you? Please come in."

"Thank you my lady." He answered walking in the room. "I have come to tell you and your husband the results of your sons' assessment. Are they here?"

"Yes, they are in the next room. Please come and you can tell us."

As they entered the room Elrond and the twins' stopped talking. They were apparently in the middle of a conversation when he arrived. "Should I come back later?"

"Oh, no Glorfindel we were just talking about the assessment and whether or not my sons' have moved up. I take it you have the results?" Elrond replied.

"Yes I do. I thought I should be the ones to tell you first hand that Elladan and Elrohir have indeed passed their assessment and will be moving up in training which starts next week."

When Glorfindel announced the good news both parents hugged their children and Elladan and Elrohir whooped and hollered with excitement, but when they saw that Glorfindel didn't seem that happy they knew that there was more to it then he was telling. "What is it Glorfindel?" Elrond asked.

"Well, I also have some bad news as well. It appears that Elladan and Elrohir are not the only gifted students to make it. Faegon also has made the list as well."

Elladan looked as if he was going to be sick. Elrond and Celebrían paled at the news. Elrohir was helping his brother to sit. Everyone knew just how much Elladan and Faegon disliked each other and the fact that they would be training with one another was not good at all. "Are you serious?!" Elladan finally asked. "There has to be a mistake."

"I am afraid not Elladan, but I know that you are more mature than Faegon and will do everything you can to avoid confrontation and if Faegon steps out line I will personally see to it he is properly disciplined. Please Elladan, just keep your focus on training and let me handle Faegon."

Elladan reluctantly agreed. This was very important to him and he knew how much it meant to his family as well and he was not about to let Faegon ruin everything for him. "Does he know yet?"

"No, Faron is telling him he advanced but he will not tell him about you. I will tell him the day of training as to avoid any unnecessary confrontation between you two. I only told you as I know that you have tried to befriend him and I know that you will be the more mature out of the two."

Elrond and Celebrían just eyes one another. As Lord of Rivendell he could not play favorites even when he knew that his son was facing a summer of training with an arch rival such as Faegon. He had to remain neutral, however he would try and lend as much emotional support as he could to his son as he knew he would need it. Celebrían on the other hand now knew what that nagging fear was she had earlier. It was Faegon. Well Lord Elrond might not be able to get involved but that didn't mean she couldn't. Just let Faegon try and hurt her son and he would learn real fast why you didn't mess with the Lord and the Lady of the Goldenwood daughter!


	3. Chapter 3

Later that day in the adjoined rooms that the two brothers shared, Elladan lay sprawled miserably out on his bed, dark head hanging off the edge of the mattress. Silver eyes unfocused, he stared blankly up at the white ceiling. There was no way this day could get worse. The older twin's eyes held resentment and exasperation and he sighed heavily, attracting his twin's attention. In a chair, on the other side of the room, Elrohir sat up straight, leaning casually against the back of his seat while he thumbed through the pages of a book.

"Elladan, it's not that bad." His little brother said firmly. Elrohir placed his book on the desk beside him and looked up at his older brother, rightfully concerned. After hearing the news, Elladan had been a complete mess. He had barely left his room, and all previous excitement from earlier this morning was gone. So the rest of the day was quite solemn, and Elrohir was tired of it. He was tired of their previous conversations coming to mean nothing, he was tired of not being able to express his own enthusiasm about moving up. So he was determined to change that.

"It's easy for you to say Elrohir, you don't have to deal with him." The older half-elf muttered miserably, another large sigh emitting from his lungs. One arm went to his face and he pinched the bridge of his nose, wincing. Still unconvinced, Elrohir raised an eyebrow, a frown forming on his face.

"Both Glorfindel and Captain Faron have agreed to keep him in line, and as long as you don't pick a fight, you have nothing to worry about."

"I... guess so... But I'm not worried about him saying something to me, at least, not that much." He knew he could at least try to deal with verbal jibes, and he was getting fairly good at retorting without sarcasm. But over the years, Faegon had learned too. The young brown haired ellon was a bright fellow, very smart, and very talented. So when the two had met each other in the past, there had been immediate war. Not just because both ellyn were naturally competitive, and not only because they were both very able warriors, but because both had pride. And Faegon, unlike Elladan, had more than a small problem with his self-worth being messed with.

So as the two were practically the same age -Faegon being slightly older- and as the two crossed paths quite often, the young warrior had developed a more than annoying habit of trying to get under Elladan's skin. The oldest son of Elrond could never quite guess what he did wrong, or what he did to offend the other, but for some reason, Faegon hated him. A lot. So as the older half-elf had grown slightly immune to the occasional verbal taunt -though he had to admit, they still bothered him- Faegon had developed new, subtler ways to bully the other. Mostly consisting of glares, poisonous looks, and the every-so-often, physical attack. Again, he found very subtle ways to do it, and he never got caught. At least not in the act.

Whether it was making Elladan feel smaller than a bug by looks and comments, or even tripping him or shoving him in the hall, he always succeeded. And very rarely did it not end with a one-on-one brawl between the two. However, Faegon was not always the one to cause the fights, though most of the time he did, and Elrohir knew that. Elladan had a fairly big reputation for causing them himself.

Across the room, his younger brother nodded silently, considering this for a moment. "Well, try to ignore him. That's what I would do." That comment made Elladan groan in exasperation, turning over just to bury his face in a pillow.

"Do you know how hard it is to do that? That's like asking me to stop bothering Ada about getting a real sword." He groaned resentfully, voice muffled by the large pillow. His little brother quirked an eyebrow at him, an attempt to look like their father. It didn't work.

"Well... I don't think there's much more you can do, at least not that I know of." But before their conversation could continue, there was a knock at the door.

Elladan pushed himself up onto his elbows, his face leaving the depths of the pillows and he glanced questioningly at Elrohir. But his brother seemed just as confused and offered no answers. "Come in." Almost before his answer, the door was slowly pushed open, a pale face peeking in. Immediately, Celebrian stepped in, a small smile on her face. Their father was just behind her, though the door blocked their view of the two.

"Hello." She greeted softly, "can we come in?" The Lady didn't wait for an invitation. Across the room, Elrohir was now standing, a grin lighting his face.

"Nana!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm, running to engulf his mother in a big hug. Though, as he only came up to her waist, it could have been bigger. Celebrían laughed merrily and hugged him back, watching fondly as he went to greet his father. But when Elrohir came face to face with Elrond, he froze, silver eyes growing wide. For in front of him, the elf Lord was holding two long parcels, wrapped delicately with an oiled cloth. He hadn't noticed them before, and was rather shocked. This also made Elladan sit up, pushing himself into a sitting position while swinging his short legs over the side of the bed. Immediately he was standing.

"Ada?" The adolescent asked, raising both eyebrows. Beside her husband, Celebrían couldn't help a small smile. Though she wasn't exactly a warrior, she understood well what this kind of gift meant to one. Elrond wasted no time and handed one of the large parcels to Elladan, giving the other to Elrohir. The twins held them in shock, not exactly sure what to do with them, and slightly afraid. They were heavy, rather heavier than they looked, weighing down their arms. Standing above them, Elrond smiled and crouched down, resting his arms on his knees.

"I had these forged a week ago-"

"You mean?" Elladan asked, unconsciously interrupting his father. But he wasn't able to finish his sentence, shock overcoming his planned words. Elrond nodded in confirmation, grinning at his sons.

"Now, you weren't supposed to receive these until next season. However, your mother and I decided that we should give them to you now." The elf Lord didn't have to say much more, watching closely as his sons carefully unwrapped their gifts, the peeled back cloth revealing what was underneath. Both gasped simultaneously, silver eyes fixed on the objects they held. With shining, black sheathes that were embedded with small rubies, they held two, small training swords. They were the next level up from a wooden sword, meant for when the elflings' trained with their first real weapons. Of course they were blunted, to the point where they were virtually harmless. But that didn't mean the twins loved them any less.

Elrohir looked up from his first, pure shock still radiating from his entire being. He glanced from one parent to the other, not really sure what to do now. He had just been given a gift that he knew he wasn't supposed to receive. Yet, no words would come, his feet wouldn't move. Only a moment later did Elladan glanced up to stare at his parents, not sure he understood the gesture. Just like Elrohir, he knew just as well that these weapons were meant for more experienced elves, not young elflings' like themselves.

"Ada, Glorfindel won't let us train with these." The older twin said softly, voice almost a whisper. His eyes traveled back down to the silver blade. His own sword. His very first real weapon. It was beautiful, as far as he could tell with his limited knowledge. At his words, Elrond nodded reasonably, already clearly aware of the fact.

"Yes, that is true. But I did not bring these to you so that you could train with them now." He slowly stood, not bothering to take the small swords back. His sons deserved to be able to actually process the instruments in their hands. Brows furrowing, the twins looked up at him, their faces obviously holding many questions. Elladan looked as if he was going to say something, but Elrond gently interrupted him.

"I want to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Elladan asked, taking the words right out of his twin's mouth. Elrond nodded to them, confirming their thoughts. This needed to happen, and it needed to happen now. The older Peredhel looked over to their mother, searching desperately for more of an explanation. Something he knew his mother could provide. However, Celebrían only gestured towards Elrond, raising her delicate eyebrows at them in reassurance. Now across the room, the Lord of Imladris gracefully sat on Elladan's bed and beckoned the two over. So not really understanding what was exactly going on here, they slowly came, confused as to what their father meant, or why he wanted to make a deal. The two scrambled up onto the bed, each taking a place beside their father, swords still held tightly in their little grasps. Celebrían, watching fondly from the doorway, also approached the bed, soundlessly sitting down near the headboard.

"This year is a big one for the both of you." Elrond began slowly, his planned speech threatening to leave his memory. But he pressed on. "And your mother and I want to make a deal, a promise." Both boys, now realizing that this was a fairly important situation, nodded seriously.

"First of all, these swords are not toys, they're tools. And when they are officially given to you by Glorfindel and Captain Faron at the end of the summer, you have to promise me you'll use them responsibly." Both Elladan and Elrohir nodded solemnly in agreement, sensing there was more to this talk than weapon safety. "We're showing you these now, because these swords are a promise. For you will only get them if you pass your assessments at the end of this season. But whether you do or not, whether you make it through this year or you don't, your mother and I will always be proud. We will always love you."

Elrond knew this season well, and he knew exactly how hard it was going to be, even for the youngest recruits. It was no mere child's play, and the summer training was increasingly hard to get excepted into, there being so many requirements and tests. The twins had tried to get into it last year, but had not met the requirements. So this year was different. For the soldiers and the trainers. Glorfindel wanted the warriors whipped into shape, and he was going to do it well. He wasn't one for showing mercy during training, unless you were hurt. It was all blood, sweat and tears. Sometimes mostly tears.

And with Faegon placed on top of all that, not only did Elladan have a hard year coming, but so did Elrohir. The younger twin occasionally received taunts from bullies, though not as bad as Elladan. The problem was, with the two looking so alike, they would be constantly mistaken for each other. And Elrohir would become a target too. The odd thing was, when Faegon did pick fights, he never usually picked them with Elrohir. It was always Elladan, almost as if he knew who was who. And as that shouldn't be a big deal, it was still odd. As for keeping the two apart, it wasn't that they couldn't handle it, they just didn't want to do it by force. Elrond had already talked with the others parents, and they were going to try their best.

They had talked about separating the two from that group, but Glorfindel had notified them that if they did, he would have to change the whole schedule and have Erestor redo all the rosters, not to mention reassign all the other elves to different places in order to fill the gap. And with only less than a week to do that, it didn't look like it was going to happen. So in the end, it was really up to whether to two would be mature or not, whether they'd be able to put aside their differences. Because even the smallest of jibes could hurt worse than a stab to the heart. So with these thoughts, Elrond continued.

"However," he looked Elladan directly in the eyes, meaning this to be for him. "They are also a promise that you will try to make the right choices to the best of your ability. Which includes what you say and what you do. This year will be competitive, more so than you've ever seen. And with competition, comes getting hurt. That is the last thing we want for you. So this promise is important, and I don't want you to make it if you think you can't keep it." Elladan and Elrohir traded a small glance of consideration, almost as if they communicated through their eyes. Finally, Elrohir broke the eye contact and gave a small smile, nodding in agreement.

"Elladan?" Elrond asked gently, wrapping his arm around his son's small shoulders and squeezing gently. He knew he was asking a lot of them, but he also knew they could handle it. They were his sons, and he had full confidence. And he loved them. "We love you no matter what, and we just want what's best. You only have to try." The older twin seemed to consider this for a moment, silver eyes fixed on the floor. He knew he wanted to try, he wanted to try for his parents. To make them proud. But would he be able to be that nice to Faegon? Would he be able to hold back an ugly retort? A punch? He wasn't sure. But he could try. The young half-elf looked up from scrutinizing his feet, brow furrowed in commitment. He nodded firmly, sighing.

"I will try."


	4. Chapter 4

Elrond smiled and Celebrían kissed Elladan's forehead. "I'm glad to hear that you will try ion. That is all we want. Now why don't you two put your swords up somewhere where you both will be able to see them and remember your promise. Dinner will be ready in a few hours." Elrond said turning to leave.

The twins nodded and when their parents had left Elladan plopped back on his bead. "How am I supposed to keep my promise now?! Faegon will be sure to push me until I snap back at him."

Elrohir sighed and shrugged. "I don't know but you had better really try or you won't be receiving that sword. I suggest every time you feel the urge to retort or to punch Faegon just envision the sword and what Nana and Ada said. Hopefully that will give you the encouragement you need." Elrohir then took his sword and hung it above his bed on his shelf and then stood back and smiled. "I cannot believe that Ada had these made for us and is allowing us to have them now."

Elladan attempted a smile and then hung his sword up above his bed as well. "I supposed your right Elrohir. Well I am going to go for a walk to clear my mind. I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Elrohir wasn't sure that it was a good idea for his brother to go by himself in his state of mind.

"No, that is alright. I'll be fine." Elladan then turned and went to go take a walk around the training grounds as that usually calmed his mind when he was upset.

"Okay, be careful." And as he watched his brother leave he couldn't help but get an uneasy feeling. He just hoped it was him being paranoid.

Elladan approached the training grounds his foot ever so often kicking a lose rock. "Just wonderful. I finally get onto the advanced training roster and I would have to be on the same team as Faegon. And to make matters worse the first training sword I get I can't even get it unless I behave and pass this season without incident. I swear this day couldn't get any worse."

Elladan took the nearest seat and sat on it staring off into the horizon his silver eyes watching the different colors of the sky as the sun began to set. He smiled. This always seemed to make him feel more at ease.

Just then he heard the soft footsteps of someone approaching and turned to see his friend and soon to be trainer Glorfindel standing behind him. "Lord Glorfindel. How long have you been here?" He hoped he didn't hear him earlier; he didn't need Glorfindel thinking that he couldn't handle this training season.

"Long enough penneth." Glorfindel then sat next to him, his blue eyes full of concern and compassion. "I heard your father gave you and your brother your training swords already. How do you like them?"

Elladan sighed and looked back at the sky. "I love it. I was not expecting to receive it so early."

Glorfindel chuckled. "Nor did I. However, your father and mother think it will be a good encouragement to help you stay focused on your goal, which is to pass this summer." He then paused for a moment thinking very hard about how to approach this topic. He knew that the subject of Faegon was a touchy subject and didn't want to aggravate Elladan anymore. "Elladan, I know this season will be harder on you than anyone else. I wish there was another way around Faegon, but since training starts in a few days my hands are tied. The best advice I can give you right now is to just keep your mind on the training at hand, and to ignore Faegon. I know it is asking a lot of you but if anyone can do it, it is you. You have more strength in you than you realize.

Elladan frowned and turned to face Glorfindel. "I can ignore him while on the training grounds but it's off that has me worried. Faegon loves to provoke me when no one is around and he finds subtle ways to goad me. I try to ignore but then it just makes him try even harder until I snap."

Glorfindel nodded. He knew how devious Faegon could be. "I understand. Well, my only suggestion would be to just keep ignoring him and keep you mind on something that you are working for. Passing the summer training, receiving your sword at the end of training." Elladan looked at Glorfindel with a perfect raised eyebrow. Glorfindel laughed. "Yes I am aware of the promise your father made with you and your brother. I was in on this as well. Anyway, know that your family and I are here to support you and as long as you don't start anything or give in to his jibes you have nothing to worry about, however, if he resorts to physical attacks, as long as you don't start it, you will not be held accountable for fighting back as long as it warrants it."

Elladan nodded slowly as he took all this in. "I understand Glorfindel."

"Good. Now, cheer up. This is supposed to be a happy day. Don't worry about it until something actually happens. And remember, Faron and I will be keeping our eyes on Faegon to make sure that he does not step out of line. Now, I suggest you head back to the house as dinner will be starting quickly. I have to go finish up my roster for the first day of training."

"Alright, and thank you Glorfindel."

Glorfindel smiled and stood up. "You are welcome Elladan. I will see you at dinner." Glorfindel then walked back towards his office to complete his paperwork leaving Elladan alone.

Elladan exhaled and then turned and walked back towards the dining halls. He knew his mother and father would be upset if he was late for dinner. When Elladan was out of sight coming out from behind the bushes with an evil grin was Faegon.

"So, Elladan and I are on the same roster and he can't fight or he won't get his sword? Well, am I going to have some fun with him or what. Look out Elladan because daddy will not be here to bail you out this time." With a laugh Faegon made his way back home to plot what he would do this summer to Elladan. "This is going to be one fun summer."


	5. Chapter 5

"Dan! Wake up!" Elrohir said, frowning skeptically while glaring imploringly down at the still form below him. This just wasn't going to work. He had tried everything! At least everything that was in his capabilities at the moment. His recent attempt at waking his older brother had fallen utterly short of what was expected, and now he was clueless. What more could he try? What more could he do? The constant trial and error was honestly starting to annoy him, and it was starting to frustrate him as well. Especially since he was trying so hard and with all his heart. But nothing seemed to work. Nothing seemed to break the unassailable wall of sleep that was guarding his brother right now. Why wouldn't Elladan get up? Why would he not acknowledge his presence?

He had shaken him, and received no reaction. He had yelled at him, and there was nothing but a slight wince. After that, he had no choice but to rip the blankets away -which even he thought was an utterly cruel thing to do to a sleeping person- but all Elladan did was snuggle deeper into the mattress. It was increasingly irritating. After a moment of deep consideration, he had even threatened to pour ice cold water on him. And yet it didn't seem to be affecting him at all. Granted he did stir, but never once did he open his eyes. Never once had he shown any acknowledgement for the outside world. Should he have actually poured freezing liquid on him? Should he have run down to the kitchens for a small glass of ice water? Elrohir had thought about it, he truly did, his mischievous mind playing out the hilarious scene that was sure to occur. But as the soon-to-be warrior had thought it through, the consequences didn't seem worth the risk, at least not today.

It was early in the morning, earlier then when the twins usually awoke. And it was definitely not the time to be up and about, or to be yelling or shouting. For most everyone one in the House of Elrond -young and old- were still snuggled up in their blankets, eyes and bodies tired with sleep. Their minds instinctively awaited the morning sun to awaken them, to let them know it was time to arise. To touch their sleep clouded faces with tendrils of yellow luster, and shadow the room in dim light. But that was not for another hour, maybe even more. So all the house was quiet.

Outside, far across the valley, hidden behind the thick, green bows of the trees, the suns golden rays were just beginning to show. They peered stealthily over the horizon, like an assassin watching for the right time to strike. Like a cat stalking its prey. Slowly, they began to touch the sky with red and purple fingers, growing and spreading till the darkness around it began to recede. Its powerful light crept in through windows and doors, wedging itself in between drapes and shades, and shedding small beams on the blankets and floors, though not yet bright enough to be noticed. So the room was dim, fairly so, the younger twin barely able to see the shadowed silhouettes around him. Their parents wouldn't even be up yet. They would even now be asleep, resting in their warm beds. In fact, the only person he knew to be up at this hour, was Glorfindel.

He could hear the early morning training sessions from his room, the sounds of metal on metal, the sounds of hollered commands, and distant shouting. It wasn't exactly foreign, as early practices went on all the time. But this morning, it was different. The usually normal sounds, were somehow changed to what they used to be. Not vague or wistful, but loud and joyful, like wedding bells, or a coronation song. It filled his entire being with excitement, eagerness, joy, and even nervousness. Today, was the big day. The first official day of Summer training. The day that would prepare them for the hard weeks ahead. At the thought, he sighed loudly, the sound shaking with a mix of enthusiasm and frustration. What would he have to do to get Elladan up? His twin seemed to be sleeping like a rock.

Biting down on his lip in thought, he silently placed his hands on Elladan's shoulder, violently shaking him. It was noticeably harder than last time. "El!" He hissed loudly, rattling his twin back and forth. This time, being rudely driven from his deep sleep, Elladan groaned, the words that came out of his mouth incoherent.

"Dan! Wake up!"

"Wh- Wha?" Elladan mumbled groggily, his right hand sluggishly pushing a layer of black hair from his face. Grey eyes focused blearily, still decidedly glazed over with sleep. In confusion, he looked at his little brother, obviously unaware if this was real, or a dream. Quickly realizing the latter, Elladan glanced around, as if to confirm his thoughts. Yes, this was definitely real, no matter how foggy it was. The older twin then paused in thought, seeming to freeze and never broke eye contact with his little brother. Then, out of nowhere, he yawned, resentfully pushing himself onto his elbows and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"It's today! Summer Training! Can you believe it?" Elrohir asked his twin excitedly, jumping up and down with enthusiasm. His actions caused the bed to shake, and with it Elladan. Elladan, still considerably groggy, only nodded wordlessly, not appearing to have processed this new information. He took a moment to think, eyes threatening to glaze over again. But Elrohir wouldn't let him. There was no way he was going through that again.

The younger twin hurriedly grabbed Elladan's wrist and pulled, using all his strength to force Elladan up. After a moment of pulling hard, the sleepy twin began to slide, slowly inching to the edge of the mattress -though it wasn't on his own accord. He was too tired to even accept the fact that he was nearing the end of the line. That he was tipping over the edge. So with one last heart-felt pull, Elrohir felt himself lurch forward, violently staggering to his knees and falling with a thud. Behind him, he heard a crash, followed by a pained, "Oomph!"

"RO!"

Elrohir winced.

Glorfindel idly glanced down at the roster with a small, thoughtful frown, silently contemplating the long, detailed list. It held the names of every student in the class, and their skill sets, times of classes, and other vital information. But as he scanned the document, something seemed off. He didn't know why. But he just didn't feel satisfied with it. The Balrog Slayer's gaze traveled to look up at the small group of children, standing in front of him in a relatively small blob. Nervousness was written on their faces, and anticipation in their stance. They had no idea what the first day was going to be like, and had no clue what they were in for.

In the beginning, it was meant to be a surprise, even if it was unpleasant, and hard, and exhausting. But, now that he saw them, he knew the original plans would have to change. At first, they were going to start by examining the rules and regulations, and then go through the basic drills. It wasn't how he normally started classes, but he thought it would be a fair idea. And plus, he didn't fancy being predictable. After that, he had planned to test their skills in archery, and see where they were. Just to make sure he knew where their strengths and weaknesses were. The Gondolin elf already knew most of them, but with the next few months coming up, he knew he should test them again. Just to be safe.

However, now, a new plan was slowly forming in his mind. A better one. Something that would truly start this season off with a bang. The elfling's were far too tense for his taste, and that wasn't healthy. Not today. He couldn't have that on the first day, as it would limit their ability to try their best, and think straight. So shifting lightly on his heels, Glorfindel turned to the side, facing the his second in command.

"Captain Faron?" He asked idly, folding up the roster and tucking it into his belt. Glancing up from his own, carefully planned, schedule, the dark haired elf's eyes widened, obviously having been engrossed in the contents of the paper. As he had been observing, he had a very busy schedule, having to take over three classes as a substitute. Glorfindel and another trainer would be away that week, and he was one of the only other qualified teachers that were available. So at the moment, he wasn't quite sure how he'd get everything done.

"Yes?"

"Separate them into two groups, and then let them pick leaders." If they did it this way, and did it correctly, he would be able to see where the natural leaders lie. The best way to do that, was obvious. A game. Something interactive, energetic, but by no means easy. Something hard and complicated, something to get their blood pumping. However, before the fun could begin, they had to know he meant business. They had to realize that there was no slacking off in his class, no fooling around, and no excuses. And this seemed the perfect way to do it. Faron, listening intently, nodding and turning around, a small smile lining his face.

He covered the distance between them easily, separating the tiny elves as evenly as possible. It was an odd number, so at request of some rather out spoken children, he was asked to reorganize them. Which took longer than necessary. This time, the team that came up short, was supplied with one of the more athletic team members, which coincidentally, was Elladan. After a moment of further contemplation, Elrohir ended up on the opposite team, acting as a balance in the numbers. Not to mention, it was decided -and agreed- that they would be separated for a few classes. Only because, both Glorfindel and Elrond were curious to see how they operated without each other on the first day.

As the Balrog Slayer looked on, he found it was rather amusing. To see the small beings shuffling awkwardly, bumping into each other, trying to blindly do what Faron was telling them, without really knowing why. However, he was impressed at how they obeyed, even after not receiving a word of explanation. They were either extremely patient, or scared out of their minds. It wouldn't be long before the poor Captain became bombarded with questions, a lot of them impossible to answer. It was just something that was expected, especially when they became comfortable.

Once the rather large group was divided, the dark haired Captain explained, well, as much as he could. He also knew nothing of what the Gondolin elf was planning. He assumed it differed from the roster, but he couldn't be sure. And it annoyed him in the slightest, not much, but enough to make him wonder. Still having not moved from his spot, Glorfindel crossed his arms over his chest, watching closely as the children began to pick and choose team captains. Once that was done, he simply had to give the order. This would be fun, especially for him.

A moment passed, and Faron turned expectantly back to Glorfindel, raising a dark eyebrow. Clapping once, the golden haired elf sauntered over, almost a skipping motion. He was obviously pleased with himself. That didn't bode well for the recruits. But when he reached them, his face fell in the slightest. The team Captains stood at the head of the group -and though he shouldn't have been surprised, he was- patiently awaiting orders.

"Ah, Elladan... and Faegon." He greeted slowly, heaving a small, long sigh. But, before any dissatisfaction could show on his face, the grin was back, though slightly strained. He knew he shouldn't feel this deflated, or that disappointed, or as confused as he did. But for some reason, he couldn't help it. And he wasn't sure why. Elladan was a natural leader -Elrohir too- he already knew that, and so was Faegon. The two were very capable elfling's, and had an outspokenness that was mind boggling for their age. He had seen them take charge of small teams in the past, when they were first learning. The two didn't know each other that well at the time, but it was obvious that they had a habit of clashing. He saw it from the start, and he knew today would only prove that theory correct.

So as it was, it was only obvious that the two would take their places as Captains. As leaders of their teams. They were both competitive, ambitious, and over achievers. They both tried to do things that were over their capabilities, they tried to impress their peers, and even tried to outdo each other. It was natural for young elves. They were that way by nature. And that could be bad, or that could be good. He guessed that it truly depended on how the two went about their day. So, as he thought carefully over it, he knew there was no way they could have avoided this. There was no way to get rid of the situation. Not without showing favoritism, or being unfair. It wasn't like he could demote him from his position as leader. If he did that, he would also have to do it to Elladan, and that would take away the whole purpose of letting the group choose who they thought was best.

"Right then. Let's go for a run." He turned away from them and looked up at the sun, shading his eyes as he calculated the time. It was only an hour after noon. They had a whole three hours to kill. Which meant a longer run. So, with that thought in mind, he grinned. "Captains, it is your responsibility to get your group across the mile and a half track, and over the river. First group to reach the opposite end of the bridge together wins."


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was beating hard by the time the two teams had reached the end of the bridge. All the trainees were exhausted as they came to a stop. Some of the students were hunched over holding their sides as they gasped for air. Faron and Glorfindel had followed behind to make sure that there would not be any trouble between Faegon and Elladan and thankfully nothing had happened. Both trainers had actually begun to hope that maybe the two would get along after all, but that was not to be the case.

At the beginning of the race, it had looked as if Elladan's team would come out on top but halfway through it they began to tire out which gave Faegon's team the advantage. Elladan had pushed his team too hard in the beginning while Faegon had them start out nice and easy which allowed them to not tire. As a result, Faegon's team had reached the end of the bridge first. As Elladan was catching his breath and was busy helping to cheer up his team he heard the unmistakable sound of Faegon snickering as he walked over.

"Slow and royal?" Faegon sneered causing Elladan to tense. He knew what was coming next. A huge nasty insult and Faegon rubbing it in that he had lost. "I was right, nobles are fat and lazy. What is your mother like? I bet she can't even run a mile without having to sit down."

Silence fell as Faegon had finished the last words. No one could believe that Faegon had even dared to insult the Lady of Rivendell. Everyone looked at Elrohir and Elladan to see what would happen next. While Elrohir was trying to bite his tongue Elladan could not hold it back.

"Shut your mouth Faegon! Do not talk about my mother like that ever again!" Elladan retorted with his fists bunched up.

"What are you going to do about it half-elf?"

Elladan started to advance towards Faegon but at the last minute he remembered his promise that he had made to his father and mother and had to force himself to stop. Oh how he wanted to punch the lights out of Faegon. He knew this would happen and there was not a thing he could do about it!

"Just what I thought. Not only are you slow but you are a coward as well."

Before Elladan could react they heard an angry voice yell out from among them. "Faegon!" No one needed to look up to know who the voice belonged to. Everyone moved out of the way as a very angry golden-haired ellon made his way through the crowd. "Come here at once," he said through gritted teeth.

Faegon's smirk had quickly turned from boastful to scared as he slowly made his way towards Glorfindel and stopped just inches away from him. "Yes, Captain?" Faegon squeaked.

Glorfindel glared, "So you think you are all that do you, you like to rub it in others faces huh? Well since you think you are so fast and so much better than your opponents you can run the course again three more times, while everyone else moves on to the next assignment. And you will not leave the training grounds until you have finished. Now MOVE!"

Faegon didn't even say yes, or look at Elladan, he just took off running like a warg with it tail between its legs. Glorfindel then turned on the others. "Okay everyone, now that the race is over we will move onto our next workout."

The rest of the trainees stifled a moan, but Glorfindel cleared his throat and the Elflings stood at attention. "Alright now. The first thing I want you to do is run back to base and when you are there you will see in a line a bunch of flour sacks. I want you to lift with your legs the flour sacks and carry them with your backs straight to the end of the field and back. When you have finished, you will proceed to the climbing ropes and each one of you will climb to the top and back down. When everyone has completed that you will finish the work out with fifty push-ups and one-hundred sit-ups. Then we will go from there. Understood?"

The Elflings all nodded their understanding wondering how on Arda they would survive this.

"Alright then let's go!" Glorfindel clapped his hands indicating he was finished and the trainees started off. "Faron?"

"Yes, Glorfindel?"

"When they have finished, I want you to go back over the basics of archery and have them demonstrate just to make sure they have not become rusty. I will be keeping an eye on Faegon over here. Afterwards I will go over sword basics and some moves, then we will call it a day."

"You sure are drilling them today." Faron grinned.

Glorfindel laughed. "Better now than later. At least this way they have an idea of what to expect."

Faron smiled and trotted over to where the elflings were busy lugging heavy flour sacks. He moaned to himself as he remembered his first day at advanced training all those years ago in Lindon. He had to admit that Glorfindel was sure being easier on these guys than Gil-galad was on him.

Meanwhile, Glorfindel was keeping a very close eye on Faegon to make sure that he didn't slack. Whenever he started to slow down Glorfindel would bark out to pick up his pace or he'd add on another lap. Periodically he would turn to catch Faron running along the side of a poor, tired elfling encouraging them to keep going. Glorfindel smiled to himself as he watched the determination of these young warriors to be. He knew though that sadly not all of them would pass this year and would have to retake this course. He only hoped that Elladan and Elrohir would not be among those. Eventually, Faegon finished the last lap and came huffing up to Glorfindel.

"Perhaps next time you will think twice before you boast and start throwing insults out about other people's mothers. Now you have to go and make up the work out, get going."

Faegon started to make a retort but when he saw the look on Glorfindel's face he thought better of it and ran off to catch up with his classmates.

Glorfindel had just caught up to Faron as the student's finished the last sit-up. Faron saw him and Glorfindel nodded for him to continue as he mouthed Faegon. Faron nodded his understanding and rounded up the students.

"Okay, let us take a water break and then we will go on to archery."

After a short water break, and they were really short, the elfling's reported to the small archery fields, where they would be taught their next lesson. The children were lined up in front of the targets, only a few feet away, shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. Watching them in slight amusement, Faron stood in front of them holding his bow by his side, a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. Then nodding to them, he walked swiftly away from the range of any sharp missiles that might come his way.

"Ready your bows!" He called to them unexpectedly, testing to see if they had remembered the command. It took them a moment, but after a thought, the cobwebs in their minds began to clear away. Each, though hesitantly, began to hold their bows in front of them, lapsing into a warrior's stance. The positions they were taught over and over again since they had first started training. Memory coming into play, they also unconsciously fixed their own postures and positions, spacing themselves out accordingly.

Faron nodded his approval, though he did spot a few problems. Little things younger warriors would miss, things that were very important. Things that would need to be fixed. And he would fix them. "Nock an arrow to the string." The Captain commanded, grey eyes watching them closely. Hearing the command, they scrambled to find their quivers. The elfling's, though not in a very organized fashion, selected missiles from their holsters, and rather clumsily, they notched them. Then, they looked at Faron expectantly.

"Good," he noted dryly, hiding a very small smile. They were so eager to please, and so enthused to show they had what it took to graduate. Only time would prove them correct. "Now, pull the string back, but do not fire. Not until I say so." Immediately, they did as he asked, some even trying to pull it back further than needed. Sighing softly, Faron checked their posture, taking notes. As the Captain walked, he pressed a child's elbow down to line up with his chin, "keep it down, you'll hinder your aim."

Walking to another one, he gently pulled a finger off a string, "you don't need that." He said briefly, moving onto the next one. This child was as tense as a dead deer a day after slaughter. Raising a dark eyebrow, he gently placed a hand on the elfling's shoulder, causing it to jump, though his hands were tense to release the string. The smaller being looked up at Faron with startled eyes, but then relaxed. Who knew what was running through his mind.

"Try to keep a relaxed body. A startled warrior is a dead one." The child's eye widened, but Faron only walked away, seeing as he did all he could. After correcting a few more students, he gestured to the targets.

"Remember to sight down the shaft, and aim carefully." The elfling's stood there for a moment, slowly taking in this information. "Go on, fire."

The elfling's released the arrow's and they went flying hitting their target dead on. Faron smiled slightly as he took note before moving on. "Very good. Now remember when you are shooting it is very important that you follow the steps shown today. If you don't your aim will be off and that can prove to be your downfall allowing your enemy to gain the upper hand. Remember, in a real battle, there are no room for mistakes."

Faster than any of them could blink, Faron nocked one of his arrows to his bow, and pulled the string back to his cheek. Looking down the shaft and picking a target, he took a small breath, and released. The arrow zipped through the air and embedded itself into the very center of a target. He then straightened and turned to them. "If I had not aimed correctly, I would never had hit my target. Any questions?"

When none of the student's raised their hands he moved on. "Good, tonight I want you to write me a one-page essay on the steps to proper technique and why it is important to demonstrate each one. They will be due first thing tomorrow morning."

The students groaned but were quickly silenced by Faron. "Now we will move onto the next part of our lesson. I want you to pack up your things and then meet Lord Glorfindel over to the fighting grounds."

The students did as they were asked and quickly made their way to where Glorfindel was waiting for them, a sword in his hands. Next to him was Faegon who looked like he was about ready to kill someone. When they had situated themselves they waited for Glorfindel to continue. After a moment of thought, Glorfindel grinned. "Let us start out with something easy." He offered leaning casually on his sword. Silence hung in the air, only broken when the elfling's began to murmur softly, their tones filled with uncertainty. They knew he didn't mean it, they knew it well, even if they had never been in his classes before. What was easy about the Balrog Slayer's training? Glorfindel brought them back to reality with a shrill whistle, causing the elfling's to jump.

"Listen!" He said rather loudly, though it wasn't harsh. Seeing that he had their attention, he swung his sword experimentally, watching the blade carefully. Then, his movement slow and practiced, he mimicked a high blow. The sword was lifted to line up with his cheek, and he brought it down carefully, postured relaxed and knees bent. Glorfindel then straightened and looked at them, hefting his sword in his hand.

"That was what we call a high blow. It helps to get in a more powerful blow, and can be used to deliver a killing strike at the end of the battle." He paused, then looked at them searchingly. "Why don't you try it now?" The Gondolin elf suggested, pointing to the group with his sword. They froze, looking around uncertainly, as if wondering if he was talking to them.

"Come on now. Posture relaxed, knees bent and over your toes, elbows tucked in. Let's see it." Slowly, the elfling's shuffled into a line, each uncertainly assuming the position they thought was correct. Then they hesitantly performed the action, trying their hardest to do as told.

As Glorfindel, walked among them Faron at his side taking notes, he would walk to each student and correct one's posture. "Make sure you are relaxed, not tense." Then he would move on and correct another's position. "Knees bent and over your toes, elbows tuck in." When he was sure that each of them had it down he then had them sit down.

"We will go over one final move and then call it a day. Now, the next and final move we will go over is called a wrath blow. To do a wrath blow, you would do similar, except you would change your stance and aim for the ear." Making sure they were still listening, he nodded, then slowly, he performed the action, seeming to go in slow motion as he did so. His sword bared down on an unseen enemy, moving at a keen, practiced angle. He then stopped, straightening. "Therefore. It provides an easier kill."

He then had the student's stand up and assume the proper position. When he had made sure that each one was in the correct position, he had them perform the technique over to make sure they knew exactly what they were doing. When he was satisfied he then had them stop what they were doing. "You all have done a very good job today. I am proud of how hard you worked. Now for your homework, which will be due at the beginning of the class tomorrow, I want you to write in detail, the two moves I showed, you today, and how you would perform each one. Tomorrow, we will also team up in pairs and you will practice these moves on one another. Class dismissed."

As the students began to leave Glorfindel called out, "Elladan? May I see you for a minute?"

Elladan, froze unsure of what to expect. He looked back at his brother who gave him an apologetic look before heading home. Elladan walked over to Glorfindel unable to look him in the eyes.

"Do not worry Elladan, I am not angry at you. Please help me clean up and we will talk for a minute."

Elladan sighed in relief and walked around helping Glorfindel to clean the field. Faron had noticed the two and walked off the field to give the two some privacy.

As Glorfindel put the swords back in their place he stopped and placed a hand on Elladan's shoulder. "Elladan, I heard what happened earlier today."

Elladan winced as he was reminded of the comment and how he had reacted.

"Now, I am not angry at you because what Faegon said was very low. However, you need to understand that by you reacting to him, you have given him more reason to attack you. I know it is very hard not to respond, but you must try with all your might, not to give in to his taunts. Remember your promise you made to your parents. Next time he says something like that, just turn and walk away and go tell either myself or Faron and we will take care of it."

Elladan shook his head in understanding and the two of them finished cleaning up. When they had finished picking up the last of the targets Glorfindel wiped his hands on his leggings. "Well I believe that is the last of them. I was very proud of you today Elladan. You performed very well. Better than most first time trainees in this class. You keep this up and you will be at the top of your class in no time."

Elladan smiled. "Thank you Glorfindel!"

"Now run off home and get some rest. Remember what I said earlier and this time I will not tell your parents what happened okay?"

Elladan hugged Glorfindel and ran home eager to take a nice hot bath and to get some food in his stomach. Never before had he felt so utterly wasted but satisfied as he did at the moment. He could only hope that on his way back he didn't run into Faegon. He knew that he was furious and humiliated and when that was a combination that never mixed well with Faegon.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been a mere few minutes since his long talk with Glorfindel. As of now, the young lord was trudging up the large, green hill to his house, looking thoughtfully at the ground before him. Today had been far from what he had expected. Very far. Although, he had expected some small encounter with Faegon, or at least a few glares, he hadn't expected such words from the other. Nothing as foul as what he had heard. Even now, the memory brought bright color to his cheeks, and his steps became rough, and angry. At the time, he hadn't seen the significance of anyone interrupting them. At that point, all he had focused on was some sort of retort, some sort of action. Something that would have matched, or exceeded the others comment. But now that he looked back, he was glad, and relieved, that the elf Lord had stepped in.

Even he didn't know what would have happened if he had been allowed to do as he pleased. Well, actually, he did. And he didn't like the thought of it, slowly closing his silver eyes in shame. It was such an immature thing to do, or to even think of. He knew very well what he would have said. And it would have been very cold, and very low. Being so filled with rage, and so infuriated by the mere thought of Faegon, there would have been major repercussions. He would have had no problem saying something he would have regretted. Just for the satisfaction of letting the other know how it felt. How it felt to have your feelings crushed, or your heart broken. He would have broken his promise to his parents. Even the thought of it made him flush red with anger, and his fists clenched at his sides. Was he as bad as Faegon? Was there any difference between them? He had made that promise in good will, and he had told his father he would be able to keep it. What would have happened if he had broken it? What would he do? Or say?

"And the royal brat returns." A voice broke through the cover of his frantic thoughts, causing Elladan to look up. His dark head snapped in every direction, searching for the voice that spoke. He froze, posture stiffening, and his brow furrowed in confusion. But after a moment, it cleared, realization taking its place. He knew who it was, and a dreading realization sunk in his stomach. Faegon. Biting down on the inside of his cheek in frustration, the dark haired elfling turned slowly on his heel, coming to face the speaker. There, standing heedlessly under a tree, was Faegon. He rested his back on the bark, and his arms were crossed over his chest, a rather careless position. A rather infuriating one as well. It made Elladan's blood boil. How could he be so relaxed, unfazed after what he pulled on the training ground? How could he be so cold?

"I have nothing to say to you." The older twin replied, hoping against hope that his voice remained steady. It seemed so, but he wasn't sure if it was a trick of his own mind. He could have been imagining it. If it did break, or shudder, Faegon didn't notice, or he simply said nothing of it.

"Nothing to say? After all you've done for me? I can hardly believe that." Faegon replied sarcastically, rolling his dark eyes at the younger elf. He was only older by a year, but believed that gave him some superiority. And in some ways, it did, though Elladan hated to admit it.

"Do you think you can get me in trouble, and get away with it? Simply walk off, and go on your merry way?" He continued heatedly, his tone burning like acid on a fire. Shifting uncertainly, Elladan said nothing, looking from the other elf, then back to his house, which only sat a few yards away. He could run, get away and ignore the others taunts. The elfling immediately dismissed the thought, scowling at it. Run? What kind of answer was that? It was a coward's answer, and he wasn't a coward.

"I... didn't get you in trouble."

"Didn't get me in trouble? I don't know if you can remember, but I had to run the track three times. Because of you. And maybe your brains too numb to understand or remember, but no one gets away with that. And well... I am the better fighter. Or did you forget that too? Was it inherited?" Faegon suddenly laughed, as if thinking his joke was funny, shifting casually from his position under the tree. He then smirked at him, an almost knowing expression. It was scary, and unsettling. Then, pushing himself off the trunk of the plant, the brown haired elfling stepped out from under its shade, sauntering over. He seemed so nonchalant, so, fearless. Elladan found himself wishing he had such strong resolve. Especially for their age.

"I wonder if you got that from you father? You know, half elf. Part human." Faegon shook his dark head and sighed mockingly, making Elladan flush red with anger. Why was he so calm? Why was he so... snide? It was more than unsettling. The young lord bit down hard on his lip, willing himself not to speak. Forcing himself to keep his thoughts within his mind. The safety of his mind. It was agonizing, and the thought of doing nothing just made it even worse. He increased the pressure of his jaw, instantly tasting the warm, salty flavor of blood, and his mouth burned. It wasn't a pleasant taste, and he almost regretted it, as his lip began to sting from the freshly made wound. However, as long as he didn't say anything he'd regret, he decided he could stomach it. He had to keep his promise.

This was Faegon's way, his signature technique. The chocolate haired elfling was seldom known for violence, as far as he could tell. No, he was more manipulative than that, and an extremely good liar. He was known for getting the other person to make the first move, and claiming self-defense. Or getting his enemy to take the blame, and it was almost impossible to predict him. Faegon had only punched him three times in his life, and that was when there was no other choice. That was when he had deemed his taunts no use, or was just too angry to care. The elf was unhealthily good at creating insults on the spot, and was almost scarily good at talking his way out of things.

So, staring stonily at the other elfling, Elladan kept his mouth shut, his cheeks tinted pink with rage. It was a hard position to hold, and his heart burned inside him, begging him to retaliate. It screamed at him to say something, to do something, to act upon his emotions, and it hurt. It physically hurt. Across from him, Faegon seemed to notice his jibes were failing, but also noticed that the son of Elrond was beginning to break. He was beginning to lose his temper. It was working, and he merely had to increase pressure. With that in mind, he scoffed, scuffing the toe of his boot on the tender grass. It was an annoying thing to watch, as it gave the other elfling the look of practical bliss. Bliss, while he was over there suffering.

"Oh, mute too? Or is it you're too dumb to speak? Hmm? Is it the human inside you, or is it your father?" At his words Elladan snapped. What was left of his resolve was gone, and his cheeks blazed hot with fire, his eyes practically seeing red. First his mother, now his father? Anger glazing his eyes, the young half elf advanced, hands clenching so tightly that his nails bit into his skin.

"Oh, you look angry. What are you going to do? Slap me? Tackle me?" The brown haired elf paused for a moment, and then smiled, nodding several times as if considering something. "Or are you going to cry?"

"Elladan!" Both young elves froze. Elladan stiffened and he turned, his posture immediately relaxing, though his eyes still held dread. Faegon looked over the hill a moment after him, and scowled, immediately beginning to step back, slinking back into the shadows. Elrohir was running towards them, his short legs carrying him as fast as he could will them. He looked rather excited, and more than happy. But as soon as the younger twin saw them, he halted, his steps faltering as he slowed to a walk. Elrohir looked slowly between them, suddenly rather confused, and uncertain.

"We're not finished." Faegon growled lowly, and turned quickly, his slow pace morphing into a jog. The young elf was out of sight before Elladan could even think of something to say. Odd. He knew that on any normal occasion, Faegon would have not cared if Elrohir had approached, and would have just continued, if only to see what the son of Elrond would do. If only to see him break his promise. But something was different. It wasn't long before Elrohir was by his side, rather breathless and his face was flushed pink from exertion. The Peredhel inhaled sharply before speaking.

"Nana sent me to get you... lunch... is nearly ready." The younger twin paused, all joy vanishing from his round face. This wasn't what he was expecting. Elladan looked horrible. His face was red hot, and there was a speck of blood on his lip, not to mention his eyes watered. What had happened? Was it Faegon?

"What was that all about?" Elrohir asked immediately, glancing back in the direction where Faegon had disappeared. There was nothing to see now, except the low hanging boughs of trees that swayed in the gently wind. It was as if nothing had even happened. Elladan, turning away, sighed heavily and shrugged, sparing his twin a small glance.

"It was nothing."

**oOo**

Later that day, rather deep into the afternoon, the twins had arrived home. Immediately after seeing their bedraggled -and war wearied as Glorfindel called it- appearance, their mother had sent them straight to their room to wash, and to clean themselves up for a late lunch. After that, Elladan and Elrohir had spent a rather long time lounging around on their beds, exhausted from the days taxing trials. However, the moment boredom took over, the two had found themselves walking into the family room. It was getting close to mealtime, and they had nothing better to do, as their lessons were finished and training over for the day. So, the family room it was. And as far as they knew, it was bound to be empty, save for an occasional visitor, or the family cat.

However, when the two arrived, they were surprised. Pleasantly so. Instead of the small area only occupying a few inhabitants -not to mention the household cat- it held a rather larger sum of people than they expected. Erestor, chief adviser to Lord Elrond, was sitting in the far corner of the room, relaxing in a high backed chair as his silver eyes carefully scanned a stack of papers. It was typical for the adviser to bring work wherever he went, and it was almost annoying. But, as there was no way to stop it, no one bothered to. Across the room to the left, Elrond and Celebrian sat together on a two seater lounge, apparently just having finished an idle conversation.

It was an altogether joyful atmosphere, and Elladan froze in the doorway, halting right in front of Elrohir. He didn't know why he stopped, perhaps he was nervous, perhaps he was just tired, he wasn't sure. But none the less, the small elf blocked the doorway, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Elrohir, not realizing his brother had stopped, bumped his nose on Elladan's shoulder, back tracking quickly in surprise. He then scowled, annoyed at his twin's sudden halt, and rubbed the offended area, his silver eyes watering in the slightest.

"Dan!" He said irritably, trying to shove his way past Elladan. For a moment, nothing happened, as if Elladan hadn't even heard him. But then, almost flinching, the older twin moved, stepping aside quickly to let Elrohir pass. He then shook his head tiredly and followed, suddenly noticing Glorfindel. He hadn't seen him before, though he guessed it was because the warrior had been far off to side. But now, having finally found him, he watched Glorfindel from the corner of his eye. The Gondolin elf was in the process of shoving Carca -a big, fat black cat with a long mane of fur- off his lap. The animal growled savagely and lashed out, her sharp claw catching the warrior on the wrist and making him curse. Elladan's eyes widened considerably at the word. He hadn't even been aware that curse word existed, but filed it away in his memory.

"Ai! Little demon. Bother someone else." The golden haired elf growled, gently, though firmly, grasping the cat's paws in one hand, and using the other to support its large belly. He then lifted her off his lap, letting go and nudging the animal away with his foot. Carca shifted with a guttural growl, flattening herself out like a badger as she hissed, staring up at him dangerously and wagging her tail. The long haired cat's yellow eyes glinted furiously at the Balrog Slayer and she once again shifted, as if preparing to strike. It was a death glare if he had ever seen one. Once again, Glorfindel waved her off with an annoyed glance. Then, slinking low to the ground, or as low as she could go before her stomach touched it, Carca prowled away.

"Elladan, Elrohir, how was practice?" Elrond's voice asked suddenly, causing both twins to look up from where they were unconsciously watching the strange exchange. "Glorfindel tells me you both did fairly well."

At his father's words, Elladan shifted uncomfortably, glancing over to look at the Gondolin elf -possibly attempting to see if they knew- but the warrior simply winked at him. Immediately taking courage from the subtle gesture -and feeling obvious relief- the older twin forced a smile and shrugged. Even though Glorfindel had promised him he wouldn't mention it to his parents, there was still that lingering fear. The fear that somehow, they would find out. But it appeared they hadn't.

"It went well." Elrohir answered first -as if sensing his brother's unease- and smiling sweetly at their parents. Elladan nodded in agreement. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door -saving the two from answering any more questions- and both breathed a sigh of relief, bolting off to answer it. As soon as Elrohir twisted it open, Lindir peeked in, smiling at the two adolescents.

"My Lord, I wanted to inform you, lunch is ready." The Minstrel said quickly, dipping his head in respect to the room of people. Standing swiftly, both Elrond and Celebrian nodded their thanks, a sign for everyone else to rise. Erestor quickly straightened his stack of forms and laid them aside on the desk, joining the others as they filed out of the room. But, as soon as they were gone, and the door was shut tightly, Carca rose from her position by the unlit fireplace. The large cat, glancing around as if to make sure she was alone, then hurriedly padded over to the couches, springing lightly off her feet to land on plush surfaces. Carca then mewed softly and jumped again, springing up to the only table in the room and settling herself comfily onto a thick sheaf of papers. No one would receive those back for a while.


	8. Chapter 8

Later that evening after dinner had been served and the twins had helped clear off the table, the twins were heading back to their room when Glorfindel had caught up with them. He knew that they had a very trying day and that Elladan was still beating himself up over earlier, so he had decided that he would take the twins out to the old swimming hole and hang out like they used to when they were younger.

"Hey you two, what are you up to?" the golden haired ellon asked although he already knew the answer to his own question.

Elladan didn't answer as he was inclined to not really talk much when he was upset, where as his brother generally would talk the ear off of anyone who would give him the chance. When Elrohir saw his brother was not going to talk he sighed and turned back towards Glorfindel. "We were just going to head back to our room and probably read a book or finish up our reports. Why do you ask?"

Glorfindel chuckled. Oh it was so like Elrohir to be the more diplomatic and more relaxed of the two. He knew already that Elrohir would more than likely take over the lordship of Imladris when their father eventually sailed. He already was displaying a natural leadership at such a young age. When Glorfindel looked at Elladan he saw a warrior, a natural born leader in a battle. He reminded him a lot of himself truth be told which is why he was closer to the elder twin.

"Oh I was just wondering tis all," he said shrugging his shoulders. "You know; I was actually wondering if perhaps the two of you would like to go out to the old swimming hole that I used to take you to when you were younger? I know you have had a big day today and I thought it would do you some good." Glorfindel had a feeling that Elladan would try and talk his way out of it but Glorfindel wouldn't take no for an answer. The last thing he needed to do was isolate himself.

Elrohir jumped at the idea and turned to his brother who was shifting his feet. Elrohir knew what was coming next. "That sounds fun and all," Elladan began, "but I think I will pass and just head off to bed after I finish my reports for the training exercises tomorrow." Elladan began to walk away when Glorfindel stopped him by placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Elladan, pen neth, I know that you wish to be alone, and normally I would respect your wishes, but this time I am insisting you come with your brother and me. It will do you some good to be around others and it will help get your mind off of things. So I want you to go and get your swim gear and meet me back here when you are ready."

Elladan was about to argue but upon seeing the look on his mentor's face knew it would have done no good. So with a heavy sigh he turned and went to his room to get ready. He only hoped that his brother would not ask him any questions about why he was in such a funk.

When the twins arrived to their room Elladan started gathering his belongings, he could sense his twin looking at him and it drove him crazy. Every time something was wrong, Elrohir would just stare at him until he either screamed at him to stop which would just cause him to feel guilty afterwards, or he told him what was bothering him. Not wishing to cause a fight he bit his already tender lip and broke the silence. "What is it Elrohir?" He knew the tone was a little ore sharp than he intended but he really didn't want to talk about this.

"Elladan, why are you so quiet and moody? Does this have to do with Faegon and what happened earlier?"

Elladan hit his head with his hand and moaned. He really did not want to hear that jerks name right now. It was like a fork scraping across a dinner plate. "Elrohir, I really don't want to talk about it so long story short, yes it does."

Elrohir sighed. "Elladan, I don't see what the big deal is. You did nothing wrong. You didn't fight back like he wanted you to and Glorfindel obviously is not mad at you. Faegon was punished you should be happy."

Elladan knew his brother was right but he had reacted and broke his promise. He should have just turned and walked away but he didn't. True he didn't lash out at him like he wanted to but he still reacted nonetheless. "Elrohir, I broke the promise we made to nana and ada. I didn't walk away, I let him goad me and on the first day!"

"Elladan, you did nothing wrong! You had every right to stand up for our mother. Anyone would have done the same if it was them. So please stop beating yourself up and let us go have some fun."

Elladan couldn't stand his brother pleading with him like that. It was almost pathetic and it worked every time. Rolling his eyes towards the ceiling, he turned and faced his brother trying so hard to look angry and tough, but upon seeing his brother sticking his lower lip out and batting his eyes, Elladan couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous sight and tossed his towel at him. "Oh fine! I was never able to win against that face anyways."

Elrohir laughed and tossed the towel back at his brother. "Good, now let us go before Glorfindel comes up here and starts banging on the door. He was never good at waiting."

The two of them packed their stuff and went back down to where Glorfindel was beginning to get impatient. When he saw the twins he noticed that Elladan looked happier. "Good, Elrohir must have talked to him," he said to himself.

"So are you two ready?"

The twins nodded as they met up with Glorfindel. Glorfindel picked up his own bag of clothing and his towel and with a grin led the twins out of the Last Homely House and towards the swimming hole.

Down at the old swimming hole three lone Elves could be heard laughing and splashing water, all thoughts of earlier washed away. Elladan could not have been happier as he managed to maneuver away from his brother, Glorfindel laughing at the sight. Oh what he wouldn't give to see Elladan stay this happy but he knew that was impossible so he would make do with what he had and just live in the here and now for he knew it would do no one any good to dwell on the future.


	9. Chapter 9

It was early morning when Glorfindel had the elfling's out in the training grounds. Usually, the older elves would be out at this time, in this field. It was only common. The younger elves training wasn't until later. However, the Elf Lord knew he was going to be out all day. It was an unfortunate event. Due to a problem in the patrol drafting, they were missing a few members, and they didn't have someone who could take over last minute. Someone had messed up when writing the reports and rosters, and now they were shorthanded. Very much so, that Glorfindel and Faron were needed in a small scouting mission. It wasn't too bad, as the two would be back by the next morning. But, to keep on schedule, and because of the more advance classes, the sessions were pushed harder. And, with Faron's busy schedule, the Gondolin elf had to improvise. He would teach the elflings earlier in the morning, and Faron was assigned to be across the field, teaching the older elves. The sessions were forced back to back, and shortened, in order to fit them into the small slot of time. But not by any means did it get easier. No, with the shorter time, and limited resources, Glorfindel made it harder. To the point of frustration. The children couldn't think that someone's mistake would make life easier for them. No, mistakes often made life harder. So, here they were, standing silently -blearily- in the middle of a shadowed training field, the golden sun just beginning to claw at the earth with its light. The grass was damp and cold beneath them, and fog lingered in their midst, swirling and weaving around their small forms. It gave the place a sleepy feeling. The elfling's seemed to be huddled into a small blob, sleeping on their feet as they waited for their teacher to give them orders. They looked rather relaxed, still drowsy from the early morning wake up call. Glorfindel smirked. That wouldn't do.

"ATTENTION!" He bellowed loudly, grinning. Like a flock of terrified birds, the children scattered, scrambling to find their places. It didn't cross their mind, that they weren't assigned positions yet. However, he was glad to see that they were retaining his commands. He watched in amusement as Elrohir ran headlong into another elfling, and the two collapsed to the floor, dazed. But immediately, the younger twin was up again, offering a hand to his fellow trainee. Glorfindel smiled. The twins truly were raised well. Despite their competitiveness, they also managed to be team players. Gentlemen. Once the children were lined up into what seemed to be their own, creative positions of attention -spread out in odd angles- Glorfindel spoke again.

"Alright, as you know, I won't be here the rest of the day; so, guess what? We get to do extra work." This earned a collective groan from the assembled elflings, and the golden haired elf smirked. "So, I give you a choice. Turn in your essays on combat, and we'll look over them. Or... we can start the day off with a nice few laps around the field?" Blue eyes studied them intently, patiently waiting for the tired elfling's response. Slowly, murmuring began.

"Is this a trick question?" The elfling that Elrohir knocked over asked quietly. Faegon snorted from somewhere in the group, and rolled his eyes.

"Of course it is! Either way, we'll be worked hard. Running a thousand laps, or sitting for hours going over an essay that might, just turn out to be another combat lesson." The chocolate haired elfling paused for a second, and then smirked in the morning light. "Or a literature class."

Over near the front, the Noldor raised a golden eyebrow. He was surprised. Faegon was annoying, a bully, and an immature, little brat. However, he was also smart, and very perceptive, if not the best judge of character. The boy had the makings of a formidable warrior. It was probably why, despite everything, he and Elladan were at the top of the class, in skill at least. Behavior? Well, that was something else. However, this was -by no account- a literature class. That was Erestor's job. And he would make Faegon run another three laps before he mistook this for a simple writing class. He didn't care how bad the paper was. The point was to understand the concept.

"You know what? I've changed my mind." Glorfindel interrupted cheerfully, causing all the trainees to freeze. They stared back at him with large eyes, and it was almost comical. It was never a good sign when the Gondolin elf changed his mind, at least not from what they had heard. "Let's start out with running. First one to meet me at the finish line... gets to have a pass on their paper. How does that sound?"

Shifting was his answer. The poor students were not exactly sure that was a good thing. However, before anyone could give any argument, the Captain turned on his heel. And leapt into a sprint, his long legs taking him across the field. Glorfindel glanced back at them. They hadn't moved.

"That's your cue! Four laps!" He yelled back to them, his voice booming loudly across the yard. It hit the trainees like an explosion, and before they could hesitate, they were off like arrows from a bow. It was either sit around and contemplate, or risk getting another lap added. So, they had no choice. No one wanted to run more than they had to. So, forcing himself into a sprint, Elladan dragged himself to the front, passing the others with alarming speed. However, ever on his tale, was Elrohir. And... Faegon The other two were some of the faster elfling's in the field. As the race went on, various people started to fall behind, and Elladan wasn't quite sure if it was Glorfindel's idea of a cruel joke; but the Noldor added an extra lap right as they began to end the third. It was torture. But at last, they were finished, and suddenly, they all understood why Glorfindel had added the extra round. To add more work, right when someone thought they were finished, usually destroyed moral.

It was a test. Who would persevere? Who had burned themselves out? Which one's had more endurance? Which had more speed? But most of all, he was looking for the lazy ones, the ones who didn't care. It was clever. He was able to see just how hard they were willing to work. Both Elladan, and Faegon had, sadly, fallen significantly behind on the last few meters, but that didn't mean they weren't trying. It just meant they needed to be prepared. Pace themselves for a longer run. Prepare for the unlikely. Elrohir had shown extraordinary endurance, and had come in third, following Faegon and Elladan. Two other trainees had taken the lead, and strangely enough, it was the elfling Elrohir had bumped into earlier that had won, though only by a few inches. He had been in the back at the start, but had pushed himself on the last lap. Smart, Glorfindel noted. There were a lot of formidable and talented elves in his class this year. Glorfindel noticed Elladan's sullen face, and he knew it wasn't just because he hadn't won. Faegon had beat him. That had to kill him inside, especially since the brown haired Ellon was subtly rubbing it in his face. Not to mention, the looks and strange words whispered behind his back. He'd have to talk to him later. But for now, they needed to keep training. Do their best, and if they could, go beyond.

The papers were actually quite short, just a simple review. Glorfindel didn't go deeply into them. A simple explanation and answering questions. However, after that, came the work out. They only had a few more minutes of class time left, and Glorfindel was going to make every second count.

"Let's go, we have exactly twenty minutes till the graduating seniors come in, and I want to do as much as we can!" He looked at Elladan and gave a small smile, seeing the older twin breathe out a tired sigh. "Who wants to lead us in a round of push-ups?" Glorfindel looked around carefully, then added, knowing that the decision should not be made on a whim; "The crew only follows their leader's orders, if they trust him, with more than just their lives. The importance of following an order goes beyond respect and trust. It's faith." At his words, his students shifted nervously, and Elladan especially looked crestfallen. No one was willing to find out how much their friends trusted them, lest it end in despair. However, right as Faegon was going to step forward, someone called out Elladan's name. The older twin froze in place, tensing like a cornered deer. After the race -both times- being called out was the last thing he wanted. His fellow trainees already looked somewhat down upon him, either with jealousy or pity. And there was no way that he wanted to encourage the misery he was already in. Plus, he didn't think nominations were allowed. However, to his surprise, Glorfindel seemed to consider this. He knew that if Elladan failed to get over his awkwardness and shame, then he would never be able to lead, or feel proud of himself. Yes, the other teammates were slightly prejudice against both Elladan and Elrohir, Sbut loyalty also went beyond people's assumptions. Dread filled the older twins form when Glorfindel said nothing, and he realized he had to do it. So, padding gently across the now bright green grass, illuminated by the early morning sun -it was at least seven o'clock- he meekly stood in front of the Balrog Slayer. Glorfindel raised an eyebrow for the thousandth time that morning.

"Well, go on. Give the order." He said expectantly. This class wasn't just about testing the students, or making them suffer through hard work -no matter how much he enjoyed that last part- it was about teaching them to lead. And find their talents. This was the best time to start. Elladan swallowed slightly, but then seemed to gain confidence, the older elf's smile encouraging him. He could do this. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it? It was a simple command, being able to keep count, and do the work -yet, he wasn't so sure he could complete that last one. Fifty push-ups was a little extreme for their age. But, he guessed that was just Glorfindel. His only fear, was that no one would listen.

"To the floor." He said firmly, dropping also, as was custom. There was no hesitation -whether it was because Glorfindel was standing there, he didn't know- but every single elfling dropped, and waited formally for the count. Elladan grinned, suddenly confident by the ease at which they obeyed. And then he did the first push-up, which began the count. Now, he understood why the Balrog Slayer enjoyed this so much. It was satisfying. It was... exciting. To know your comrades respected you enough to follow you, whether encouraged by a warrior's presence or not. Even Faegon obeyed orders, though he knew for a fact, the other elfling just wanted to avoid being called out. But despite that, the older twins grin grew, and he increased the pace, feeling his arms burn and shake as they rose in number. It hurt, it seared his limbs, but he couldn't stop. He just couldn't. Even when he felt his elbows buckle beneath his weight, he made it to fifty. And in the end, it made all the difference. Pure exhaustion from the day washed over him, and he knew that in a few moments, he wouldn't be able to move, as he watched his fellow trainees collapse, the agony in their muscles screaming at them. And yet, as he and Elrohir limped to breakfast that morning, he couldn't have been happier.


End file.
